This invention relates to a soft, durable, nonwoven napped fabric, and products manufactured from such a fabric. Products that may advantageously be made from such a fabric include aircraft passenger blankets and headrest covers, moving blankets, baby blankets, stadium blankets, bed coverings, surgical drapes, and garments of all types. The fabric is both inexpensive and durable. For this reason, the fabric and products made therefrom may be disposed of after a single use, or laundered or dry-cleaned for reuse. The particular preferred embodiment of the fabric disclosed herein has particular application for use as an aircraft passenger blanket, although, as also discussed, the fabric has many other suitable uses.
Blankets are routinely furnished to airline passengers for use while sleeping or for keeping warm. Such blankets are generally knitted according to a process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,075. Millions of such blankets are used by the airline industry each year. Such blankets are relatively expensive and are thus often reused. Concerns have been raised regarding sanitary practices arising out of the repackaging of such blankets after use without first being laundered or dry-cleaned. Pathogens have been detected in such reused blankets, raising a concern about the environment within the aircraft and the possibility of disease and infection arising from pathogens being transmitted from one person to another with the blanket serving as the intermediary.
The fabric according to the present invention is constructed according to known hydroentangling processes. However, instead of using the fabric in its prior art form, applicant has learned through extensive research that certain nonwoven, embossed fabrics can be wire napped to create a napped nonwoven fabric that has the softness, durability and appearance of a much more expensive fabric at much lower cost. The fabric is very light weight, yet provides greater warmth than prior art blankets of similar weight.
The fabric is sufficiently inexpensive that it can be disposed of after one use. This feature enables airline operators or other users to purchase a very inexpensive blanket and dispose of the blanket after a single use. This avoids the need to send used blankets out for cleaning and repackaging. Moreover, this in turn avoids the possibility of contractors either negligently or deliberately failing to clean the blankets before packaging and returning them to the airlines for reuse, thus creating the possibility of transmitting pathogenic materials.
It has been discovered that a particular surface texture, that of a right-hand twill, when embossed onto the surface of the fabric enables the fabric to be wire napped without damage to the fabric. Rather, the twill appearance disappears and a uniformly even, napped surface is created which closely resembles more expensive woven or knitted fabrics. The fabric is very dimensionally stable, yet soft, supple and soft to the touch. Despite the fact that the surface has been napped, the fabric does not shed broken fibers or filaments, and does not pill when subjected to rubbing or abrasion.
The fabric structure is sufficiently robust that it may be embroidered with logos or initials and sewn in the same manner as woven or knitted fabrics. The fabric is free of bias, so that it may be embroidered without the need of a backing. The fabrication of blankets, for example, involves cutting the fabric to size and overedge seaming the perimeter of the sized fabric with an overedge or serge stitch. However, seaming is not necessary in all instances due to the integrity of the fabric.
The fabric may thus be constructed into garments of any suitable type, such as jackets, gloves, shirts, pants, capes, socks, scarves, soft-soled or non-soled shoes and hats. The fabric may be laminated to or overlaid with other fabric or sheet materials.
The fabric may also be constructed using conventional sonic welding or heated die-cutting techniques whereby the garment or other item is first cut to shape and then joined, or the cutting and joining takes place simultaneously.
The fabric and blanket fabricated from the blanket meets FAA regulations regarding materials ignition standards. See FAR 25.853(b).